A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some . Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous rock or metamorphic rock. Some monoliths are , solidified lava filling the vent of an extinct volcano.
In architecture, the term has considerable overlap with megalith, which is normally used for prehistory, and may be used in the contexts of rock-cut architecture that remains attached to solid rock, as in monolithic church, or for exceptionally large stones such as , statues, monolithic columns or large , that may have been moved a considerable distance after quarrying. It may also be used of large moved by natural forces.
The word derives, via the Latin monolithus, from the Ancient Greek word (), from () meaning "one" or "single" and () meaning "stone".
Geological monoliths
Large, well-known monoliths include:
Africa
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Aso Rock, Nigeria
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Ben Amera, Mauritania
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Brandberg Mountain, Namibia
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Sibebe, Eswatini
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Zuma Rock, Nigeria
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Mount Lubiri, Angola
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Mount Poi, Kenya
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Great Sphinx of Giza
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Oruku Rock, Ososo, Edo State, Nigeria
Antarctica
Asia
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Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
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Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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Gilbert Hill, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Kailasa temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra, India
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Namakkal Fort, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
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Malaikottai, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
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Parangimalai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Bellary Fort, Bellary, India
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Madhugiri Betta, Karnataka, India
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Yana, Karnataka, India
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Bhongir, Telangana, India
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Ekasila, Warangal, India
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Mount Kelam, Indonesia
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Mount Pico de Loro, Philippines
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Mount Pulumbato, Philippines
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Sangla Hill, Pakistan
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Savandurga, Karnataka, India
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Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Australia
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Bald Rock, near Tenterfield, New South Wales
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Mount Augustus (Burringurrah), Western Australia (NOTE: this is not actually monolith as popularly claimed, but, rather, a monocline)
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Mount Coolum, Queensland
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Mount Wudinna, South Australia
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Pine Mountain, Victoria
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Uluru, Northern Territory
Europe
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Kalamos, Anafi, Greece
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Katskhi Pillar, Georgia
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Levski G., Sofia, Bulgaria
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Logan Rock, Treen, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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Monolithe de Sardières, Sollières-Sardières, France
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Penyal d'Ifac, Calpe, Valencian Community, Spain
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Peña de Arcos, Arcos de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain
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Peña de los Enamorados, Antequera, Andalusia, Spain (a World Heritage Site)
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Rauk, Sweden
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Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
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Rock of Monaco, Monaco-Ville, Monaco
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Rock Cappa, San Luca, Italy
North America
United States
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Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah
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Beacon Rock, Columbia River Gorge, Washington
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Bottleneck Peak, Sids Mountain, Utah
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Castle Rock, Pineville, West Virginia
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Chimney Rock, Bayard, Nebraska
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Chimney Rock, Chimney Rock, North Carolina
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Courthouse and Jail Rocks, Bridgeport, Nebraska
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Devils Tower, Wyoming
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El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
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Enchanted Rock, Llano County, Texas
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Frog Woman Rock, Mendocino County, California
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Great White Throne, Zion National Park, Utah
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Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California
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Haystack Rock, Clatsop County, Oregon
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Looking Glass Rock, Transylvania County, North Carolina
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Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park, California
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Quincy Quarries Reservation, Quincy, Massachusetts
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Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska
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Shiprock, San Juan County, New Mexico
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Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain, Georgia
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Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain, North Carolina
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Tooth of Time, Cimarron, New Mexico
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Wolf Rock, Linn County, Oregon
Canada
Mexico
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La Peña de Bernal, Queretaro; claimed to be the world's third-largest monolith
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Las Piedrotas, near the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco.
South America
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Cochamó Valley, Several granitic monoliths, Chile
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El Peñón, also known as El Peñol Stone or simply La Piedra, Colombia
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Pão de Açúcar, Brazil
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Pedra da Gávea, Brazil the world's largest monolith on the coastline
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Pedra da Galinha Choca, Brazil
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Torres del Paine, Chile
Outside Earth
Monumental monoliths
A structure which has been excavated as a unit from a surrounding matrix or outcropping of rock.
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Aztec calendar stone – "Stone of the Sun"
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The Church of Saint George in Lalibela, Ethiopia, is one of a number of monolithic churches in Ethiopia.
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The vast monoliths which went into the walls of Osaka Castle, Japan.
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Coyolxauhqui Stone another Aztec monolith
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Ellora Caves – UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Great Sphinx of Giza – "The Egyptian Sphinx"
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Gommateshwara statue of Bahubali at Sravanabelagola, Carnataca, India
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– see this article for a list
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Ogham stones, inscribed standing stones throughout Ireland
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Standing stones
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Stelae
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Stone circle
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Stone of the Pregnant Woman, Baalbek
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Stonehenge in present-day England
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The Longstones or the Devil's Quoits, Avebury, Wiltshire, England
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Architecture of Vijayanagar in present-day south India
See also
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List of individual rocks
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(or inselberg)
External links
